Long-distance signal and control system



W. AKEMANN.

LONG DISTANCE SIGNAL AND CONTROL SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 3, I920- W. AKEMANN.

LONG DISTANCE SIGNAL AND GONTROL SYSTEM.

APPLICATION HLED SEPT- 3, 1920.

1,375,437, Patented Apr119, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

9 nuuhtoz Walther -Ahemavn,

Gttouwqs umrsn sTATEs WA'L'rHns nk PA E orrice "qn'sisjscHAFT, or 'nsssn-on-riin nona, onnmeivm, 7

To all whomit mag concern: i 1 'Be, itrknoivnthat 1, J91. VVAL'rHEn Ami- MANN, residing at Essemfiermany, a citizen oft'the Germans Republiq have invented a certain new .and usefulv Improvement ;;in Long-Distance signalsuand Control ;Systems, Ofwvhichi the following is a specification. 51;; l a J:

This invention relates to arrangements for the indication at aidistance of the positions of pointers or thclike-With a synchronously acting transmitting and receiving system, a cooperatin'gg pointer positively connected to the object-to be adjusted and coordinated to the pointer of the receiver and vwith an apparatus'forindicating both the direction of rotation required for the driving member of the cooperating; pointer, and-also theposition'aimwhich the angular position of theobjeet be adjusted differs from "that of the transmitterby less thania. revolution of the cooperating pointer.

"The object of the invention is first and foremost, to provide all arrangement of this kind in which -'it is possible at any tiniest) ascertain at'the reeeiviufstation the exact difierencewhi ch exists an the adjustments of the' transmit'ter and th e objuct to be adjusted. and which therefo're permits the dura tion of the ad j listing bfieration t be substantially shortened hy rotating the driving member of the object-{tome adjusted at 5111 increased speed so long a's thesai( lli ll'ercnite is comparatively great! The object offli'the invention is secondl 'y' 't d proi 'ide arranee ments of the'kind *lastaaentidnedythc range of adjustment of which is a-m'ultipleofth'e range of adjustinent'dbta-in'edin consideration of unavoidable errors of transmission? a Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view f'agn apparatus constructecl'dn accordance with my invention and FigflZ isa similar view showing aslightlyinodified form of my invention. Upon a shaft A trh'ichfsei ves to drivea transmitter A is ke'yeda drum A provided with a series of jdistan'te graduations and which can he i'otated together with the transmitter A by means of ahand wheel A The rotation of thetmnsmitter A is transmitted by conductors 13 t0 a synchronously acting receiver Gjin the well known manner and the 'jositi'o'n'of which receiver is read ofihy means ofa pointer C rigidly connected to tlie'arma'ture of the receiver I samen ss: Igetters l l at'ent.

Application filed September 3,1920. Serial No. 408;069.

Lono ms'rmcnsid'nix. mn'c'oN'rRoL SYSTEM.

Patented Apr. 19,1921.

and b means of a, mark d, which isarrange on the periphery of a disk D adapted to rotate freely with respect to the pointer C. The disk 'D is positively connected by means of a toothed wheel-gearing shown in the drawing to a shaft E-WhiCh'iSQPi'OVidd with a hand wheel E and is connected in its turn by the aid of a worm wheel gearing e 7 to the rotating partiof an auxiliary transmitter F and by a clutch G which can be thrown in and out of operation to a coa zial shaft H. This shaft -H is in its turn positively connected b a, worm wheel gearlng It i with'the ob ect J to be adjusted. The ratio oftransmission of the toothed wheel gearing provided for the driving of the disk D is So chosen,- that the disk D makes the same number of revolutions as the armature of the transmitter A when the object J to beadjusted isq moved over the whole range of its adjustment. The ratio of transmissionof the gearing e f is such that asingle revolution of the auxiliary transmitter F corresponds to theentire range of adjustmentof the objedflJpto be adjusted. i

The auxiliary transmitter F mounted at the receiving station is connected to an auxiliary receiver K mounted Fat the transmitting station and acts synchronously therewith and with the shaft k of the receiver K whichcarries a contact'armVc. Arranged co=axially-witl1 the receiver K and the contact arm- 7cis a contact-disk M which is provided with two m and i'flf and is a daptd to rotate "rela ti new {to the shaft I k a n d is -'dri venthrough wor ii wli'eel gearing m" Qff fThe" iatioof-t1 ansrniss ipfl' of tlie gearfiig' in m is 'e'qu'til. to' the 'ratio" or transmission of the'gegirmg e fiend is-so propo'rtioned that a single revoliitionof tire-contact disk M corresponds to-thei entire rhnge -of adjustment of the drum A Tl'i'e c'o'ntact disk M with the contacts-4a and 'm' and-the arm [a form together d 'contzvetkievi'ce; the function of which is to open'or-jclo s i signaling circuit, according to the position of the arm is relatively tothe" contatsm and m For this purpose the ap betweenthe contacts m and m is so-eiiosea that when the arm k moves from the contact-m} to the contact m the pointer C of the receiver C makes a complete revolution. "\Vitlrin' this space of a complete revolution'pf the pointer of the receiver the pointer C can therefore a worm wheel move away from the mark d without the contact device is M coming into action.

From the source of continuous current at the transmitting station a conductor n leads to the contact arm k. and a second conductor n leads to the receiving station where it branches into the conductors n and n. These conductors n and n each pass across signal lamps P and 1 back to the transmitting station where they are connec ed to the contacts m and m of the contact disk M. On the receiver QC are provided two arrows a: and 3 which indicate the two directions of rotation of the disk D and which are so-arranged with respect to the signal lamps P and P that they are illuminated when the lamps light u and thus allow it to be seen, m which irection of rotation the disk D is to be rotated, when the object to be adjusted, is adjusted.

Now according "to the present invention upon the transmitter shaft A is also keyed a worm a which gears with a worm wheel Q, the shaft of which carries a contact arm The ratio of transmission of the worm wheel gearin a Q is so chosen that a complete revolution of the contact arm g corresponds to the entire range of adjustment of the transmitter A. When the worm wheel Q rotates the contact arm q slides over a disk R fixed in space which carries on its end face next to the contact arm 1 four contacts r, 1-, r and 1" each of whic extends over about a quarter of a circle and is separated from the next one by a gap ua to the width of the contact arm q. T e contact arm g is connected by a conductor n to the source of continuous current N, and conductors n also lead from the contacts 1", i, r, r to four lampls T, T, T and T which are arran ed on t e are of a circle and behind ground glass disk S, S S and S'. From the lamps a common conductor a", connected to the conductor it leads back to the source N of continuous current. The contact device formed by the arts 1 and R, '1", r, r, r in conjunction with t e signaling arra ement formed by the four illuminated pane s S, S, S S enables the man who 0 crates the hand wheel E. to ascertain, by.t e lighting up of that particular lamp panel, which at that moment receives current through the said contact device, in which art of its adjustment the transmitter A s situated.

Positivel connected to the shaft E provided for t e driving of the object J to be adjusted by a worm wheel geari e 'v is V, the shaft of whic carries a pointer V the point of which points to one of the panels S, S, S, S. he ratio of transmission of the worm wheel gearing a c is so fixed that'the pointer V will have rotated from the outer edge of the panel S to the outer edge of the panel S by the time that the shaft E has been rotated by. an angular amount corresponding to the entire range of adjustment of the ob'ect J. As, according to what has been sai above, the lighting up of one of thepanels S, S, S and S at the receiving station allows the approximate adjustment of the transmitter A to be ascertained and as also the position in which the pointer V is at'this instant indicates the approximate position of the object J to be adjusted the signaling device formed by the parts V, S, S S, S affords the individual who 0 erates the hand wheel E the possibilit o ascertaining whether the position of t as object J to be adjusted corresponds approximately to that of the transmitter A or whether there is agreat difference between both positions.

The descriptionof the method of using the arrangement will be begun on the assumption that all the parts are in the position shown in the drawing that is to sa that the transmitter A has already ma e the number of revolutions. corresponding to the position of the mark a on the graduated drum A also that the pointer C of the receiver is exactly opposite the mark at and the contact arm k is touchin the contact m so that the signal lamp 12 situated on the right hand side of the receiver C illuminates the arrow g, which indicates the direction and that finally the contact arm q is touching the contact r and consequently causes the signal lam T farthest to the right to light u and t erefore illuminate the lamp anel while the pointer V maybe adusted to the lamp panel S belonging to the lamp T At the same time the clutch is in the operative position i. e. thrown in and the object to be ad'usted is in the position corresponding to t e position of the pointer V. In order now to carry out the adjustment of the object J rescribed from the transmitting station tlie driving shaft E must first be rotated in the direction of rotation indicated by the illuminating directing arrow y until the inter V has reached the lamp panel S elonging to the lamp T. This part of the adjustment may be carried out at great speed, as the attendant, who rotates the hand wheel E can ascertain from the fact that the pointer V has not yet reached the lamp panel S just illuminated, and that there is still a reat difference between the adjustment of t e object J and of the transmitter A and that he need therefore have no fear that by rapidly rotating the shaft E, he will brin the ob'ect J beyond the position'prescri ed by t e transmitter'A". As soon as the pointer V has reached the lamp panel S just illuminated, the man who rotates the hand wheel, turns it at a lower speed as he sees from the osition of the pointer V" on the illuminat ed lamp panel that the adjustment of the object J preone revolution of the shaft E. At this instant the adjustment of the object J is completed.

On a subsequent fresh movement of the transmitter shaft A, which for example ma take place in the opposite direction to whic it did hitherto and may continue until the contact arm 9 touches the contact 1'", so that the signal lamp T now lights up and therefore illuminates the lamp panel S while the pointer V still points to the lamp panel S belonging to the lamp T the arm I2 comes into contact with the contact 772, so that the lamp P illuminates the directing arrow w. The man attending to the object J to be adjusted must accordinglyrotate the driving shaft E in the opposite direction to which he formerly did and with an increased velocity until the pointer V has reached the panel S illuminated by the lamp '1 and with a decreased velocity until the lamp P on the receiver again goes out and the mark (2 again stands exactly opposite the pointer C of the receiver.

Instead of the signal lamp T to T and the ground glass disks S to S drop shutters or simliar optical signaling devices may of course be used.

Without altering anything in 'the essential features of the invention the arrangement described may also be constructed in the following way: Instead of the equal ratios of transmission of the gearings a m and e 7 being chosen so that a single rotation of the contact disk M or of the auxiliary trans- \mitter P corresponds to the entire range of {adjustment of the transmitter A or of the object J to be adjusted the ratios of transmission of these gearings may be so fixed that as many revolutions of the contact disk M or of the auxiliary transmitter F correspond to the entire range of ad'ustment of the transmitter A or of the ob ect J to be adjusted, as there are illuminatablc anels in the signaling device provided at t e receiving station, that is to sa that in the arrangement shown in the rawing, four revolutions of the auxiliary transmitter F and of the contact disk M correspond to the entire range of adjustment. Furthermore the graduated drum A may be provided with a series of graduations which suflices for four times the ran e of adjustment of the arrangement first escribed. In other respects nothing is altered from the arrangement shown in the drawing.

From the aforesaid alteration in the ratio of transmission it follows firstly, that an entire revolution of the-auxiliary transmitter F and of the contact disk M is no longer corresponded to by an angle of rotation of the pointer V which reaches from the outer edge of the lamp panel S to the outer edge of the lamp panel S but b a new angle of rotation, which is bounded y both edges of one and the same lamp panel; and secondly that on the rotation of the shaft A over the entire range of adjustment of the transmitter A the contact disk M makes four revolutions and the lamps P and P are conseguently lighted up four times. In the modied arrangement therefore the lamps P and P are no longer suitable for indicating the required direction of rotation of the shaft E.

Assume that the transmitter A takes up a position in which, for example, the lamp panel 8 is illuminated, and the object J to be adjusted is in an angular position which corresponds to an adjustment of the pointer directed to an one of the other lamp panels S, S or S. n this case what the sole deciding factor for the direction of rotation required is, is whether the lamp panel just illuminated is situated to the right or the left of the pointer V. According as the illuminated lamp panel is on the left or right of the pointer V, the man who attends to the adjustments of the object, has to turn the hand wheel E in a clock-wise direction or in the, opposite direction. This rotation may take place at an increased speed as the attendant sees from the fact that the pointer does not point to the illuminatedpanel, that the adjustment of the objectJis different by a large amount from that of the transmitter A Immediately the pointer V has reached the illuminated panel 8, that lamp P or P lights up which confirms the direction of rotation previousl given by the position of the pointer V wit respect to the illuminated lamp panel S The attendant, now pointing the gun according to the directing arrow at or y ust illuminated; therefor continues to turn the hand wheel'E in the direction of the illuminated directing arrow until the directing arrow is no longer illuminated. From this instant he continues the rotation of the hand wheel E until in the course of the next revolution of the disk D the marks C and d coincide. As soon as this happens, i. a, as soon as the pointer V points to-the illuminated lamp panel, neither of the directing arrows at and y is illuminated any longer and the marks C and d coincide, the ob'ect J has reached the adjustment prescribe by the transmitter A.

The number mentioned of the ratios 0 transmission causes one revolution of t auxiliary transmitter F and of the contact disk M to be corresponded to by only a uarter of the entire range of adjustment of t e transmitter A and of the ob ect J to be adjusted, that is to say it is possi Is to make the range of ad'ustment of the transmitter A and of the o ject J to bi e adjusted four times as large as 1n the arrangement at first described, without it being necessary, to.

object-adjusting means, said means being controlled by a contact device, said contact device being controlled jointly by said object-adjusting means and said transmltter shaft a series of optical signals for indicating the amount of adjustment required for the object, a movable pointer coiperatmg with said signals, said pointer being positively connected to and operated by the object ad'usting means, and electrical means controlled by the transmitter shaft for selectively operating the series of optical signals. 2. An apparatus of the class described, which comprises-a transmitter, a transmitter shaft, a receiver operated by and synchronously with said transmitter, a pointer rotatable with said receiver, a coiiperatmg pointer coordinate to the ornter of the receiver, an object to be ad usted, means for adjusting said object, said co iiperating pointer eing positively connectedto the object-adjusting means, an auxiliary transmitter operated by the object-adjusting means, an auxiliary receiver operated by an synchronously with said auxllia transmitter, said auxiliary receiver being provided with a rotating contact arm, contact plates rotatably mounted and operated by the transmitter shaft, signal lamps for indicating the direction of rotation re uired for the object-adjusting means control ed by said contact arm and contact lates, a series of optical signals, a movab e pointer cooperating with said optical signals for indicating the amount 0 ad'ustment re uired for the object, said mova le pointer eing operatively connected to the object adjusting means and a contact device for selectively controlling said optical signals, part of said contact device being operatable by the'transmitter shaft.

3. An apparatus of the class described,

sha a receiver operated by and synchronousl with said transmitter, a pointer rotatab e with said receiver, a coiiperating pointer coordinate to the ointer of the receiver, an object to bead usted, means for operatively connecting said cooperating pointer to said object, means for adjusting said object, electrical means for indicating the direction of rotation re uired for the object adjusting means, sai means being controlled by a contact device, said contact device being controlled jointly by s id object adjusting means and said transmitter shaft a series of optical signals for indicating t e amount of adjustment required for the object, a movable pointer cooperating with said signals, said movable pointer being positively connected to and operated by the object adjusting means, and electrical means controlled by the transmitter shaft for selectively operating the series of optical signals, the ratlo of transmission between the transmitter shaft and the electrical means on one hand, and the object adjusting means and the part of the contact device controlled thereby on the other hand, being so fixed that the entire range of adjustment of the transmitter and object-adjusting.

means are corresponded to by as many revolutions of the said part as t si nals. 7

he foregoing, specification signed at Essen, Germany, this 27th day of May.

DR. WALTHE-R AKEMANN. In presence of- HANS GOTTBMANN, J osnr OLBERTZ.

comfprising a transmitter, a transmitterere are optical 

